[Remembering Erika]

Boulder Colorado, 2019

The all ivory house seemed more empty that usual.
Boxes scattered the home, sharpie labeled each one:
'Kitchen & utensils'
'Living room'
'Mom'
'Erika's room'
'Bathroom'
Etc.
The couple who lived in the ivory mansion had gotten a divorce, and settled that if dad kept the house, mom kept the kid.
"So why are we moving so far away?" The child's finger made swirls on the marble counter top.
Her mother put her hair into a tight bun before responding,
"I've told you a thousand times Erika, were just better off moving farther okay? and without your fathers finical support, I can't afford a home like this" her arms waved, gesturing around her.
The house was extravagant, almost a million dollars, back when the couple loved each other her husband would have no second thoughts about buying his beautiful wife anything she wanted, now he just regretted that mind set from 14 years ago.
"I don't get why you're getting a divorce because you had a miscarriage, doesn't that like bring couples together or whatever?" Erika looked up at her mother as she went around the kitchen collecting her novelty hand towels.
"I suppose so; yes but" her mother trailed off for a minute, trying to figure out how to phrase this next sentence.
"But your father made me drink, I didn't even know I was pregnant yet, and two days later I miscarry? I don't think it was a accident Erika" the theory sounded god awful stupid  in Erika's Head.
"At least you'll be starting 9th grade with all new friends! Isn't that exciting? Think of the move to South Park as a blessing" her mother laid a soft consoling hand on her angry daughters shoulder.
"C'mon, help me carry these last few boxes out" her mother offered, her big blue eyes looking back into Erika's green ones.
The teen sighed and picked up two small boxes that had the blender and toaster inside. She hurried them outside to her mothers SUV that her father had bought her last July for her birthday. However Erika's father maintains that it never really was for his now Ex-Wife but for his daughter so she could get around to hockey practice faster.
"Erika let's go, say go bye to your father" her mother: Rita Miller-Jones called out from the front seat of the two females car that was stuffed with boxes.
Erika ram up the long, twisting driveway running into her dad arms,
"Good luck on your first day of high school Cookie" he ruffled his hands though her tight ash blonde curls, "I'll see you winter break cookie" he waved to her one last time before she ran back down the driveway, hoping into her moms car, she rolled down the window "bye dad!" She smiled waving back to him.
Her mom pulled away from the curb and into the street, heading towards the stop sign at the end of the road.
Erika took out her iPhone, the newest one,
"South Park you said? It looks like a tiny little mountain town" she said sadly as she left everything she knew behind.
"Oh gosh, give it a chance Pumpkin, it's gonna be wonderful."

"Yeah, wonderful."